What is Test Data Management?
Test data management is the process of making sure your team has the right data in the right place when testing begins. Data that looks and behaves like production, without exposing sensitive information or copying more than you need.
For IBM i environments, getting that data into test has traditionally meant copying entire production libraries, a slow, risky process that leaves sensitive data exposed and takes hours to repeat. With shorter release cycles and tighter data protection requirements, that approach is no longer sustainable.
Why Test Data Management on IBM i is harder than it should be
Copying production feels like the path of least resistance. Here is why that creates more problems than it solves.
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Subsetting data without breaking it
IBM i systems hold complex relationships between files that aren’t always visible in the database. Extract records without understanding those relationships and tests fail in ways that are hard to diagnose and time-consuming to fix.
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Protecting sensitive data without making it useless
Replacing personal data with dummy values sounds straightforward, but if the same value appears in multiple files and isn’t replaced consistently, the data stops working for testing purposes entirely.
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Resetting test environments takes too long
Running the same test twice means resetting the data first. When that requires a full save and restore, teams run tests once and leave environments in a messy state, creating risk for everyone who needs it next.
Test Data Management built for IBM i
Our platform gives your team production-like data that is safe to use, and puts it back to a known state whenever they need it. Meet TestBench, our dedicated IBM i test data management solution.
The right data, not all of it
Our platform analyses how your IBM i files relate to each other and extracts only the records your tests need, keeping everything connected and consistent, without the volume or risk of a full production copy.
Protected data, tests still work
Personal data is replaced consistently across every file it appears in, so your test data is safe to use and fully compliant, without losing the integrity that makes it useful for testing.
Reset in minutes, not overnight
Set a checkpoint before a test begins and roll back to it whenever you need to, across as many libraries as required, without waiting for a restore or raising a request with your DBA.
Everything you need for effective IBM i Test Data Management
From first extract through to on-demand reset, everything your IBM i testing team needs is in one place.
Extraction with referential integrity
TestBench analyses your IBM i file relationships and selects exactly the records your tests need, bringing everything connected so your test environment behaves like production.
Masking and date shifting
Sensitive data is replaced consistently across every file. Dates can also be shifted to support period-end testing without waiting for the calendar.
Checkpoints and rollback
Save the state of your test environment at any point and return to it whenever you need to, mid-test, between runs or across multiple testers sharing the same environment.
Complete database validation
Confirm that every change made during a test happened as expected, and that nothing changed that shouldn’t have, with a full record of every insert, update and delete.
Want to know more?
Further reading on IBM i Test Data Management:
Test Data Management FAQs
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What is test data management?
Test data management is the practice of creating, maintaining and protecting the data used for software testing — ensuring it is representative of production, free from sensitive information and in a consistent state that can be repeated.
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What is TestBench?
TestBench is Original Software’s dedicated test data management solution for IBM i. It handles extraction, masking, checkpointing and database validation, all built specifically for the complexity of IBM i environments.
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Why not just copy production data into test?
Copying production gives you far more data than you need, including sensitive customer information you are not permitted to expose in a test environment. It is also slow to set up and expensive to maintain across multiple environments, and increasingly difficult to justify to an auditor.
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Does masked data still work for testing?
Yes, as long as the masking is applied consistently. Our platform replaces the same value with the same output wherever it appears across your files, so the data still holds together and your application behaves as it would on live data.
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Can data be reset during a test rather than after it?
Yes. You can set a checkpoint at any point during testing and roll back to it whenever you need to, including mid-test, without having to restart the entire environment.
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Does it work with all IBM i file types?
Yes. Our platform works with both DDS-defined files and SQL tables, replicating the relationships between them so your test environment behaves like the live one.
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Does it work across multiple libraries and partitions?
Yes. Resets can span multiple libraries and data can be extracted from both local and remote IBM i servers, giving your team flexibility across different environments and configurations.
Test Data Management, without the overnight restore
See how the Original Software platform gets the right data into your IBM i test environments, and puts it back whenever your team needs it.
See our IBM i testing solutionBook a demo
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